Town of Shalimar  —  Tidbits

March 2009

Notes from the Mayor

Nancy and I made it back from the Bahamas safely – 2,000 miles round trip by boat.  I’m happy to report that the Town Staff and Commission operated smoothly - maybe I should go on another trip.  So what’s up?  In the next two months, we will be negotiating a new waste collection contract.  If you have any inputs, please send an email or call Tom or Tina at Town hall.  I will be taking another trip to Europe (this time for business) and will be unable to attend the next Town Commission meeting—but waste collection contract bids will be discussed during this meeting.

On another subject, we now have an official deed to the property adjacent to Meigs middle school.  This did not happen as I quickly as I had hoped as legal actions were necessary.  In the next couple of months, we will be trading this property for a slightly larger School Board lot down the street.  The trade will benefit the School Board by combining their properties on each side of the existing Town lot.  The future plan of this new lot is a secure low cost RV/boat/trailer storage facility for Town residents only.

Now for my pitch for Shalimar businesses.  If you have family or friends coming into town, there is no friendlier hotel staff than at Shalimar’s Fairfield Inn.  Stop by, let the staff know you are a Town resident and ask for a tour.  Right next door, Shalimar Cheers Pub has great food and refreshments at reasonable prices.  In my opinion, Jeb, owner and chef, prepares a great hamburger and really great spicy chicken wings.  Cheers Pub has a full service menu for lunch or dinner.  If you’re a boater, then you may need services.  Our own Shalimar Yacht Basin is a full-service marina.  The yard manager, Ray, is an honest guy who I guarantee will work with you no matter what you need.  Please patronize all of Shalimar’s businesses.  If you have a business and you want me to give you an endorsement, please let me know.

Neighborhood awareness is everyone's responsibility.  If you notice anything or anyone out of the ordinary, please call the Shalimar Police Department at (850) 225-1272.  For emergencies, please continue to use 9-1-1.  For any non-emergency communication, please call (850) 225-1272 or during the day you can call Town Hall at (850) 651-5723.

Gary Combs, Mayor

Mosquito season will be here in the next few weeks (night temperatures routinely above 67 degrees F) and now is the time to police your property for any items or areas that will hold standing water (rain or irrigation).  The county will be spraying by truck between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on a routine schedule.  Please go inside if you see the truck as they will not spray if people are obviously outside near the road or in front yards.  If you see any areas containing standing water – please report them to town hall.

Spring Cleanup Regulations

The two Spring cleanup ROLO dumpsters will be in place some time in April (the exact dates have not yet been set).  Two dumpsters will be located in the town for disposal of household items and yard waste - no household garbage please.  One will be placed on the far end of the lot to the right of Town Hall and the other will be on the corner of Shalimar Drive and Erwin Fleet.  These dumpsters are NOT for Hazardous Materials (HazMat).  There will be a pallet for HazMat somewhere near each dumpster designated as the HAZMAT DISPOSAL AREA.  Please ONLY PUT HAZMAT IN/ON POSTED RECEPTACLE.  If it is full, you may lay your item next to the HAZMAT DISPOSAL AREA, drop it off at town hall behind the commercial dumpster or call us and someone will come pick it up.  (WM charges the Town approximately 700% more if HazMat is found in either of the two large dumpsters.)

Hazardous Materials include (but are not limited to):

Please refer Hazardous Materials questions to Waste Management at 862-7141.

Notes from the Police Department

I would like to again thank those residents who continue to call when they need to utilize the right-of-way for temporary parking.  In addition, those who have called our non-emergency phone number ((850) 225-1272) to report suspicious activity in Cherokee Park and elsewhere have assisted us in deterring criminal activity.

Officer Steve Shadwell has recently returned from his 1 year tour in Iraq.  Welcome Back—Well done!  Steve’s return will allow us to modify our patrols and increase the presence of your Police Department.

This time of year we see a rise in vehicle burglaries and thefts.  Please remember to secure your vehicles and homes.  We have implemented extra steps to monitor the neighborhoods and stop criminal activity.  Do not hesitate to call 9-1-1 or (850) 651-7400 (dispatch) to request an officer if you observe any suspicious activity.

Remember to obey the speed limits on our neighborhood streets.  More children are out playing and vacationers are visiting our area.  If you need to talk with anyone in the police department, stop by or call (850) 225-1272 or (850) 651-1115.

Chief John E. Cash

Upcoming Events

-    Commission Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 14

-    Planning and Zoning Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on April 29

All Contractors doing business in the town of Shalimar are required to have a License.  Please help us protect you from unscrupulous contractors - a list of currently licensed contractors is available on our web site (www.shalimarflorida.org) or you can contact town hall at 651-5723.

FEMA Flood Insurance Reminders

Residents can stop by the town hall and check out flood maps for specific flood zone determinations.  Copies of elevation certificates for structures located in special flood zones should be on file at Town Hall and applications and instructions for elevation certification are also available.

Reminder: Shalimar ordinances state that no person shall throw or place any debris in any drainage ditches, drainage easements, catch basins, or any part of the storm water management system.  It is also illegal to dispose of any pollutants that may end up in any of these areas.  These include yard trash, earthen fill, and all trash/litter.  Please notify Town Hall if you observe any illegal dumping in our storm water drainage systems – let’s stay high and dry and help keep coastal waters clean!